Fender are back in the effects pedal market this year with six new original designs

US guitar giant Fender has picked today to launch a brand new effects pedal range encompassing six original Fender pedals for you to choose from and add to your pedalboard. Given the vast array of excellent effects out there, can Fender assert itself in a crowded market this time?

Fender Effects 2018

Every few years Fender dips its toe into the effects pedal market and we get a range of cool, sometimes oddball pedals that stay around for a year or so and then disappear into obscurity, which sometimes creates a huge demand on the secondhand market for certain models.

In 2018, they have decided to launch a far more subdued set of six new original effects, each encased in a similar looking, robust anodized aluminium rugged enclosure. They also have an intriguing magnetically-latched battery door, to make changing 9v batteries less of a chore.

Pugilist Distortion

Dual gain engines each with their own independent tone controls for each, therefore letting players select multiple variations of the distorted tones. With a simple Series/Blend switch that allows you to stack both channels for a thicker, cascading distortion.

An onboard Bass Boost switch fattens the low tones and the Blend control mixes the two channels to give you more control over your distortion tones.

RRP – GBP 87

Fender’s new pedal lineup for 2018

Level Set Buffer

An original circuit design that features Level, Hi-Freq and Load controls to adjust the signal, plus a Main Mute footswitch for silent tuning. Designed to allow you to easily switch between different guitars that have differing outputs, so could be great for live work.

RRP – GBP 87

The Bends Compressor

With Drive and Recovery controls that let you dial in the perfect amount of compression, whilst the Blend control mixes the dry signal back in to keep your dynamics sounding more natural. The Amp Jewel LED changes colour from white to pink, so you can see the compression circuit at work as you play.

RRP – GBP 96

Marine Layer Reverb

The new Marine Layer Reverb includes classics like Hall and Room reverbs, along with modern ones, like Shimmer, reverb tails also continue when the effect is muted and so makes it more useable and stops it cutting out unnaturally.

RRP – GBP 110

Mirror Image Delay

‘atmospheric’ delay effect with modulated repeats. The pedal offers Digital, Analog, and Tape emulations, with each having two voice variations, plus an option to add a dotted-eighth note as well,

RRP – GBP 110

Santa Ana Overdrive

A saturated overdrive that uses FET technology for a tube-like tone, it is designed to react to your guitar’s controls and also has an interactive tone stack. With controls for each side labelled Bass. Middle, Treble, Presence, Level and Drive, plus a switch labelled Voice and two footswitches labelled Bypass and Boost, it looks like there is a lot going on with this drive pedal,